#52FilmsByWomen: THE WINDING STREAM: THE CARTERS, THE CASHES AND THE COURSE OF COUNTRY MUSIC

50/52: THE WINDING STREAM: THE CARTERS, THE CASHES AND THE COURSE OF COUNTRY MUSIC

It’s a funny time right now. There are so many great possibilities for new filmmakers because the technology is so available. That part is awesome. The tricky part is anything that costs money – travel, archival rights… I guess my recommendation is don’t make big, archival-based music films unless you want to take 12 years. Shooting things that you have much more access to is probably a way to start off.

~ Beth Harrington

Producer/Director/Writer Beth Harrington is a Boston native who worked extensively with PBS and WBGH before moving to the Pacific Northwest. This documentary saga took her 12 years to complete and among its many gems is early television footage of the Carter women, Johnny Cash’s final interview, extensive audio recordings and a side plot about Border Radio that kind of blew my mind.

Anyone with an interest in American and music history will love the time spent here with the earliest originators of what we now call country music–and the vast influence these artists exerted over all of American music. There was so much I didn’t know and the Carter Family backstory is inspiring, jaw-dropping and the stuff of legends; it’s wonderful to see how their legacy lives on. This film is available to stream on Netflix.